A local community response team says the demand is still high for their services.
We’re two months into the Covid-19 pandemic now and 27 people are still availing of the meals on wheels service being provided by Thurles Covid-19 Community Response.
Their Facebook page – where information is posted and help can be sought – also has more than 3,600 members now.
One of those behind it, Ciara McCormack says, when it comes to their home deliveries, Covid regulations are still being adhered to:
“We try to have as little contact as possible with the service users for their protection and our own, of course. So it’s generally a wave, or a quick hello. Through phone calls and stuff though [we do stay in touch].
“I suppose, there’s an impression sometimes that, once you reach a certain age, you’re kind of just pottering around the place and I suppose, the reality of that is quite different.
“We have very active senior citizens in this area anyway and I know that cocooning has been hard on them.”
Ciara says many of them have been hard at work baking goods for the volunteers, as well as Gardaí and other frontline workers.
She pointed out as well that the spirit of volunteerism is very much alive and well when it comes to her group:
“Really, one of the positives – if you could take any from the situation – is that it’s brought back that sense of community spirit, or highlighted it. I presume it’s always been there but it’s highlighted that when the chips are down there are people in the community that are happy to put their shoulder to the wheel and look after the elderly and the vulnerable.”
